Vehicle front bumper peripheral structure

Abstract

To protect an outside air temperature sensor attached to an edge of an opening of a front bumper.SOLUTION: A lower cover 110 of a vehicle front bumper peripheral structure 100 includes: a main body 110A overlapped with an opening 106 of a front bumper 102; a first flange 110D formed substantially horizontally at an edge of the main body 110A; a second flange 110E bent from a front end of the first flange 110D to extend away from the main body and forming a substantially L-shaped cross section 130 together with the first flange 110D as viewed from the vehicle side; and a hole 110F formed in the first flange 110D and the second flange 110E and into which an outside air temperature sensor 120 is inserted. A measurement portion 120A of the outside air temperature sensor 120 is exposed via the hole 110F to the opposite side from the second flange 110E of the first flange 110D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle front bumper peripheral structure. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an obstacle sensor attached to the back side of the front bumper of a vehicle. According to Patent Document 1, when the front bumper collides with an obstacle and deforms so as to rotate, the obstacle sensor is accommodated in an opening provided in a specified safety plate, and the obstacle sensor is prevented from being broken. It is considered that the technology of Patent Document 1 can be applied not only to the obstacle sensor, but also to the protection of other types of devices for recognizing or detecting the state or situation outside the vehicle, such as an outside air temperature sensor, a camera, or a sonar, which are attached near the opening of the front bumper. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-50059 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, according to the technology of Patent Document 1, if the front bumper experiences a minor collision that does not generate a load large enough to cause the front bumper to rotate, the outside air temperature sensor, etc. will not rotate but will move rearward, and there is a risk that the outside air temperature sensor, etc. will come into contact with surrounding structures and be damaged.

[0005] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle front bumper surrounding structure that can protect a device for recognizing or detecting a state or situation outside the vehicle, which is attached to the edge of the opening of the front bumper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a typical configuration of the present invention is a front bumper peripheral structure for a vehicle comprising a front bumper having an opening for a grill formed on the front side, a lower cover engaged around the periphery of the opening so as to overlap the opening from the rear side of the front bumper, and a device attached to the edge of the opening of the front bumper for recognizing or detecting a state or situation outside the vehicle, wherein the lower cover has a main body overlapping the opening of the front bumper, a substantially horizontal first flange formed on the edge of the main body, a second flange bent from the front end of the first flange and extending away from the main body to form a substantially L-shaped cross section together with the first flange when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and a hole opened across the first flange and the second flange into which the device is inserted, and a part of the device is exposed through the hole on the opposite side of the first flange from the second flange. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle front bumper surrounding structure capable of protecting an apparatus for recognizing or detecting a state or situation outside the vehicle, which is attached to the edge of an opening in the front bumper. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a vehicle front bumper to which an embodiment of a vehicle front bumper peripheral structure according to the present invention is applied; [Diagram 2] 2 is a rear perspective view of the vehicle front bumper peripheral structure of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the lower cover of FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle front bumper peripheral structure shown in FIG. 1 . [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the grill shutter unit of FIG. 4 as viewed from the front. [Figure 6] 5 is a perspective view showing the grill shutter unit of FIG. 4 together with the lower cover of FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention is a front bumper peripheral structure for a vehicle comprising a front bumper having an opening for a grill formed on the front side, a lower cover engaged around the periphery of the opening so as to overlap the opening from the rear side of the front bumper, and a device attached to the edge of the opening of the front bumper for recognizing or detecting a state or situation outside the vehicle, wherein the lower cover has a main body overlapping the opening of the front bumper, a substantially horizontal first flange formed on the edge of the main body, a second flange bent from the front end of the first flange and extending away from the main body to form a substantially L-shaped cross section together with the first flange when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and a hole opened across the first flange and the second flange into which the device is inserted, and a portion of the device is exposed through the hole on the side of the first flange opposite the second flange.

[0010] According to the present invention, the first flange and the second flange, which are parts of the lower cover, are configured to surround the periphery of the device, so that the device can be protected by preventing contact with surrounding parts.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to maintain the measurement accuracy of the device while protecting the device as described above. The inside of the lower cover is a power unit room, and a part of the device is exposed on the opposite side of the first flange from the second flange, i.e., on the outside of the lower cover. Therefore, if the device is, for example, an outside air temperature sensor, by exposing a measurement part of the sensor on the outside of the lower cover, only the measurement part of the outside air temperature sensor can be directly exposed to the outside air through the opening of the front bumper, and it can be made less susceptible to the temperature of the power unit room. In other words, it is possible to shield the measurement part of the outside air temperature sensor from the power unit room by (the first flange of) the lower cover, thereby insulating it from heat. This makes it possible to maintain the accuracy of the measurement of the temperature outside the vehicle by the outside air temperature sensor, as described above.

[0012] The vehicle front bumper peripheral structure may further include a grill shutter unit located rearward of the lower cover and fixed to the vehicle body, and a cushion member provided on the front surface of the grill shutter unit in a position overlapping with the first flange of the lower cover in a front view.

[0013] According to the above configuration, when the front bumper receives an impact load from the front, the device attached to the front bumper also moves backward together with the front bumper. However, at this time, the lower cover engaged with the front bumper also moves backward with its first and second flanges surrounding the device. Then, the first flange of the lower cover hits the cushion member attached to the front of the grill shutter unit before the device, and absorbs the energy of the impact while suppressing the device from moving backward. This makes it possible to prevent the device from hitting the highly rigid grill shutter unit attached to the vehicle body and being damaged.

[0014] The front bumper has an attachment piece provided on the edge of the opening and to which the device is attached, the attachment piece being inclined so as to extend rearward while moving away from the opening, and the thickness of the attachment piece is thinner near the edge of the opening than in other parts.

[0015] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the base of the mounting piece is thin and weak, so that in the event of a collision the mounting piece can be deformed to absorb the energy of the impact, thereby preventing damage to the device. EXAMPLES

[0016] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are given the same reference numerals to avoid repeated explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a front view of a vehicle front bumper to which an embodiment of a vehicle front bumper peripheral structure according to the present invention is applied. In Fig. 1 and all other drawings, the vehicle front-rear direction is indicated by arrows F (Forward) and B (Backward), the left and right in the vehicle width direction are indicated by arrows L (Leftward) and R (Rightward), and the up-down direction is indicated by arrows U (Upward) and D (Downward).

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle front bumper peripheral structure 100 includes a front bumper 102. An opening 106 for a grill 104 is formed in the lower front surface of the front bumper 102.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the vehicle front bumper peripheral structure 100 of Fig. 1. The vehicle front bumper peripheral structure 100 includes a lower cover 110, which is engaged around the opening 106 so as to overlap the opening 106 from the rear side of the front bumper 102, as shown in Figs. 2(a) and (b).

[0020] 2(a) and (b) are diagrams respectively showing before and after the lower cover 110 is engaged with the front bumper 102. A plurality of protrusions such as protrusion 102B provided on the edge of the opening 106 of the front bumper 102 are engaged with a plurality of engaging structures such as engaging structure 110B provided on the edge of the lower cover 110. In this way, the lower cover 110 is engaged with the front bumper 102.

[0021] 2 and 4, behind the lower cover 110 is a power unit room 112 in which a power source (not shown) such as an engine or a motor is disposed. The lower cover 110 is originally a member for insulating heat from the power unit room 112 from the space in front of it.

[0022] Fig. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the lower cover 110 in Fig. 2(b). As shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle front bumper peripheral structure 100 is equipped with an outside air temperature sensor 120. The outside air temperature sensor 120 is a sensor that detects the temperature outside the vehicle, and is attached to the edge of the opening 106 of the front bumper 102, as shown in Fig. 2(a). More specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the front bumper 102 has a mounting piece 102A provided on the edge of the opening 106, and the outside air temperature sensor 120 is attached to this mounting piece 102A.

[0023] (Lower cover) As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower cover 110 has a main body 110A that overlaps with the opening 106 of the front bumper 102, and an opening 110C provided in the main body 110A, and the opening 110C overlaps with the opening 106 for the grill 104 of the front bumper 102.

[0024] Fig. 4 is an AA end view of the vehicle front bumper peripheral structure 100 of Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the outside air temperature sensor 120 is disposed in a position offset to the left of the center in the vehicle width direction of the front bumper 102, and Fig. 4 shows an end face of the front bumper 102 cut at the position of the outside air temperature sensor 120. Elements that are not directly related to this embodiment are omitted from Fig. 4.

[0025] 4 shows the state before and after the front bumper 102 receives an impact 103 from the front, and the vehicle front bumper peripheral structure 100 is shown by a two-dot chain line and a solid line, respectively, before and after receiving the impact 103. Reference numerals are given to each element shown by the solid line after receiving the impact 103. Also, the lower cover 110 is shown by a shaded portion to distinguish it from the front bumper 102.

[0026] 3 and 4, the lower cover 110 has a first flange 110D, which is a substantially horizontal flange formed on the edge of the main body 110A. The lower cover 110 also has a second flange 110E, which is bent from the front end of the first flange 110D and extends in a substantially trapezoidal shape away from the main body 110A. The second flange 110E, together with the first flange 110D, forms a substantially L-shaped 130 cross section when viewed from the side of the vehicle.

[0027] The lower cover 110 further has a hole 110F that extends across the first flange 110D and the second flange 110E. As shown in Fig. 3, the outside air temperature sensor 120 is inserted into this hole 110F. That is, the mounting piece 102A (part of the front bumper 102) whose outline is shown in bold in Fig. 3 and the outside air temperature sensor 120 attached thereto are inserted into the hole 110F of the lower cover 110.

[0028] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, a measurement portion 120A which is part of the outside air temperature sensor 120 is exposed through a hole 110F on the side of the first flange 110D opposite to the second flange 110E, that is, on the lower side.

[0029] 3, according to this embodiment, first flange 110D and second flange 110E, which are part of lower cover 110, are configured to surround outside air temperature sensor 120. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the outside air temperature sensor 120 from coming into contact with surrounding components, and it is possible to protect the outside air temperature sensor 120.

[0030] It should be noted that the object to be protected is not limited to the outside air temperature sensor 120, but may instead be other types of devices for recognizing or detecting a state or condition outside the vehicle, such as a camera or sonar.

[0031] According to this embodiment, the accuracy of the measurement of the outside air temperature sensor 120 can be maintained while protecting the outside air temperature sensor 120 as described above. As shown in FIG. 4, the inside (rear side) of the lower cover 110 is the power unit room 112, and the measurement part 120A of the outside air temperature sensor 120 is exposed on the opposite side of the first flange 110D from the second flange 110E, that is, on the outside of the lower cover 110. Only the measurement part 120A of the outside air temperature sensor 120 can be directly exposed to the outside air through the opening 106 of the front bumper 102, and is less susceptible to the temperature of the power unit room 112. That is, the measurement part 120A of the outside air temperature sensor 120 and the power unit room 112 can be shielded and insulated from heat by the lower cover 110 (the first flange 110D of the lower cover 110). This makes it possible to maintain the accuracy of the measurement of the temperature outside the vehicle by the outside air temperature sensor 120 as described above.

[0032] 3, four ribs 110G, 110H, 110I, and 110J are formed in the vehicle front-rear direction on the first flange 110D of the lower cover 110 surrounding the outside air temperature sensor 120. In addition, a rib 110K is provided in the vehicle width direction as a first bridge structure connecting the ribs 110G and 110H.

[0033] Furthermore, an additional flange 110L extending vertically (rearward) from the upper end of the second flange 110E is also formed on the lower cover 110. This additional flange 110L is a second bridge structure connecting the ribs 110I and 110J.

[0034] The first flange 110D and the second flange 110E of the lower cover 110 are reinforced by the various ribs and flanges described above, resulting in a highly rigid structure. In particular, the first bridge structure (rib 110K) behind the outside air temperature sensor 120, which overlaps with the outside air temperature sensor 120 in a front view, and the second bridge structure (additional flange 110L) above the outside air temperature sensor 120, which overlaps with the outside air temperature sensor 120 in a plan view, have high rigidity. By surrounding the outside air temperature sensor 120 with the first flange 110D and the second flange 110E, the outside air temperature sensor 120 is more thoroughly prevented from coming into contact with surrounding components due to deformation of the front bumper 102 caused by an external force.

[0035] (Grill shutter unit) As shown in Fig. 4, the vehicle front bumper peripheral structure 100 further includes a grill shutter unit 140 located behind the lower cover 110. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the grill shutter unit 140 of Fig. 4, seen from the front. As shown in Fig. 5, the grill shutter unit 140 has a frame member 142 surrounding the unit on all four sides, and shutters 144, 146 extending across the frame member 142 in the vehicle width direction with a gap 143 between them above and below.

[0036] The grill shutter unit 140 is a device that warms and cools the engine by opening and closing shutters 144, 146 according to the traveling speed and the engine water temperature. The grill shutter unit 140 is fixed to a bumper member (front end panel) 148 that constitutes the vehicle body via fixing points 145A, 145B, 145C provided on a frame member 142. A radiator (not shown) is also fixed to this bumper member 148. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the grill shutter unit 140 of FIG. 4 together with the lower cover 110 of FIG. 3. The bumper member 148 is not shown in FIG. 6.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, a cushion member 150 is provided on the front surface of the frame member 142 of the grill shutter unit 140 at a position overlapping with the first flange 110D of the lower cover 110 in a front view. The cushion member 150 is made of a soft material. On the other hand, the first flange 110D of the lower cover 110 is a highly rigid member in which a first bridge structure (rib 110K) is formed. In this embodiment, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 4, the first flange 110D of the lower cover 110 is already immersed in the cushion member 150 in a normal state before the front bumper 102 receives an impact 103 from the front.

[0038] With this configuration, when the front bumper 102 receives the load of a front impact 103, the outside air temperature sensor 120 attached to the front bumper 102 also moves back together with the front bumper 102, as shown by the solid line, from the position shown by the dashed double-dashed line in Figure 4 before receiving the impact 103.

[0039] However, at this time, the lower cover 110 engaged with the front bumper 102 also moves back with its first flange 110D and second flange 110E surrounding the outside air temperature sensor 120. Then, the first flange 110D of the lower cover 110 hits the cushion member 150 attached to the front surface of the frame member 142 of the grill shutter unit 140 before the outside air temperature sensor 120, absorbing the energy of the impact 103 and suppressing the outside air temperature sensor 120 from moving back. This makes it possible to prevent the outside air temperature sensor 120 from hitting and being damaged by the grill shutter unit 140, which has high rigidity and is attached to the bumper member 148 (vehicle body).

[0040] (Mounting piece) As already explained with reference to Figure 3, the outside air temperature sensor 120 is attached to a mounting piece 102A provided on the edge of the opening 106 of the front bumper 102. As shown in Figure 4, this mounting piece 102A is inclined so as to extend rearward while moving away from the opening 106. The thickness of the mounting piece 102A is thinner near the edge of the opening, i.e., at the base 102B of the mounting piece 102A, than in other parts.

[0041] According to this configuration, the base 102B of the mounting piece 102A is thin and weak, so that in the event of a collision, the mounting piece 102A deforms starting from the base 102B, absorbing the energy of the impact 103 and preventing damage to the outside air temperature sensor 120.

[0042] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can think of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0043] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented by freely combining the inventions described in the claims and examples, regardless of the dependent relationships of the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0044] The present invention can be used in a vehicle front bumper peripheral structure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 100...Front bumper peripheral structure for vehicle 102 ... Front bumper 102A …Mounting piece 102B ... Base 104 ...Grill 106…Aperture 110 ...Lower cover 110A …Lower cover body 110B ...Lower cover locking structure 110C …Lower cover opening 110D … Lower cover first flange 110E …Lower cover second flange 110F …Lower cover hole 112 ... Power unit room 120 ... Outside air temperature sensor 120A …Outside air temperature sensor measurement part 140 ... Grill shutter unit 142 ... Frame member 148 ... Bumper member 150 ... Cushioning material 144, 146 ... Shutter

Claims

1. A front bumper with an opening for a grill formed in the front; a lower cover engaged around the opening so as to overlap the opening from the rear side of the front bumper; and a device attached to an edge of the opening of the front bumper for recognizing or detecting a state or situation outside the vehicle. The lower cover is A main body overlapping the opening of the front bumper; a first substantially horizontal flange formed on an edge of the body; a second flange that is bent from a front end of the first flange and extends away from the main body to form a substantially L-shaped cross section together with the first flange when viewed from the side of the vehicle; a hole extending through the first flange and the second flange and into which the device is inserted; A peripheral structure of a front bumper for a vehicle, wherein a portion of the device is exposed on the opposite side of the first flange from the second flange through the hole.

2. The vehicle front bumper peripheral structure further includes: a grill shutter unit located behind the lower cover and fixed to a vehicle body; 2. The vehicle front bumper peripheral structure according to claim 1, further comprising a cushion member provided on a front surface of the grill shutter unit at a position overlapping with the first flange of the lower cover in a front view.

3. the front bumper has an attachment piece provided on an edge of the opening to which the device is attached, the attachment piece being inclined so as to extend rearward while moving away from the opening; 3. The vehicle front bumper peripheral structure according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the mounting piece is thinner in the vicinity of the edge of the opening than in other portions.

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